Automatic railway-switch.



A. NITZSCHE.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. \917.

l ,Q3fi3 l a Patented Sept. 4,1917,

AUGUST NITZSCHE, 0F MONROE TOWNSHIP, MADISON COUNTY, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May '5, 1917. Serial No. 166,720.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, AUGUsT Nrrzsonn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Monroe Township, in the county of Madison and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Automatic Railway- Switch, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic railway switch whereby a passing engine or carequipped with a proper trip device will throw the switch.

A further object is to provide a switch so constructed and arranged that it may be thrown by a train traveling in either direction and after having been thrown will have its parts standing in position to be again operated by a train traveling in either direction.

A further object is to provide such a switch having its parts constructed and arranged so that the commencement of the operation of the switch will be comparatively slow and gradual for thereby reducing the shock and strain on the parts.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement,- construction, and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a top or plan view of a stretch of railway track equipped with a switch embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of a portion of the track showing a part of the switch.

Fig. 3 shows a vertical, sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 through the casing and on the line 3 -3 through the track.

Fig. 4 shows a vertical, sectional view taken on the line H of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows a detailed view of part of the gears.

Fig. 6 shows a detailed sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 shows a detailed view of the tri device in front elevation, and y i Fig. 8 shows a view in side elevation of the trip device.

In the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the-ties of a railroad track, which support the rails 11 of the main track and the rails 12 of a side track.

-member 16 forming part of the main track.

The free ends of the movable rail members 1 1 and 16 are connected by a transverse rod 17 shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Mounted in a suitable casing 18 below and between the rail members 14: and 16 and near the rod 17 is a shaft 19. On the shaft 19 is mounted a worm wheel 20. Mounted at the side of the track and preferably in line with the casing 18 is a casing 21. Extending from the easing 21 to the casing 18 is a tube 22. Mounted in the tube 22 is a shaft 23, which extends throughthe casing 18 and also into the casing 21. On the shaft 23 is a worm 24 in mesh with the worm gear 20. On the outer end of the shaft 23 is a beveled gear 25 having at one point on its periphery an outwardly extending fiat faced lug 26 illustrated inFigs. 5 and 6. The worm gear 20 is fixed on the shaft 19. On the shaft 19 is an upwardly extending arm 27 pivotally connected at its upper end with the rod 17 in any suitable way so that the partial rotation of the shaft 19 will operate the arm 27 for moving the rod 17 longitudinally. Extending away from the casing 21 in opposite directions along the side of the track are tubular casings 28 in which is mounted a long shaft 29. On the shaft 29 in the casing 21 is a beveled gear 30 in mesh with the beveled gear 25. The beveled gear 30 is a mutilated gear, part of its teeth for a short distance as indicated at 31 being omitted or removed. Extending radially outwardly from the rear surface of the beveled gear 30 is a lug 32 having a flat forward face substantially flush with the rear surface of the beveled gear 30. On the outer ends of the shaft 29 are beveled gears 33. Adjacent to the outer ends of the shaft 29 are transverse shafts 341 and 35 respectively extending across the track below the rails and received in suitable tubular casings 36. On the ends of the shaft 34: adjacent to the gear 33 is a loosely mounted beveled gear 37 meshing with the gear 33 and a fixed beveled gear 38 meshingwith the opposite side of said beveled gear 33 as illustrated in Fig. 1. On the end of the shaft 35 adjacent to the other beveled gear 33 is a loosely mounted beveled gear 37 meshing with one side of the adjacent beveled gear 33 and a fixed beveled gear 38 meshing with the opposite side of Patented se t. a, iaiv.

said beveled gear 33. It will be noted that the outer gear on the shaft 34 is the loosely mounted gear while the outer gear on the shaft 35 is the gear fixed with relation to the shaft. Casings are provided for the gears 33, 37 and 38 as indicated at 39. Fixed on the gears 37 and 37 are parallel upwardly inclined levers 40. On the opposite end of each of the shafts 34 and 35 are parallel upwardly inclined levers 41. The levers 40 and 41 are arranged relatively as shown in Fig. 2 so that one of them extends upwardly and toward the right and the other upwardly and toward the left in one of the positions of said shafts 34 and 35.

My improved switch device as hereinbefore described is designed to be used in co- 1 operation withtrip devices. I plan to use on the engine or car a pair of trip devices located on opposite sides of the car and supported on projecting brackets 42. Mounted on the brackets 42 for vertical sliding movementis a frame comprising laterally spaced upright members 43 connected at their upper portions by transverse members 44 and at their lower ends by transverse shaft 45 on which is mounted a roller 46. There are preferably four of the brackets 42 arranged in upper and lower pairs and the lower pair is connected by transverse member 47 to which is secured the upwardly extending coil spring 48 secured at its upper end to the slidable frame. -The slidable frame is connected with a chain or flexible device 49 extending over a pulley 50 on the frame 51 of the car and designed to be operated from inside the car or engine.

In the practical use of my improved switch device the movable trip members on the car are designed to be normally held in their raised positions. As the train approaches the switch the trip device on one side of the car is lowered, ifit is desired to throw the switch. Assuming that the train is approaching 0n the main track from the left and that the arms 40 and 41 extend in the position shown in Fig. 1 the left hand trip device will then be lowered. The

rail members 14 and 16 will be in position for carrying traflic from the main track to the switch track. When the rollers 46 engages the arm 40, the first movement of the arm 40 will be relatively slow. As the train continues its progress, the arm 40 will be thrown over thereby imparting rotation to theshaft 36, gears 38-,-and 33, the shaft 29, the gear and the shaft 19. The arm 27 will be swung for moving the rail members 14 and 16 from their position shown in Fig. 1 to their position shown in Fig. 3 for carrying the train on to the main track. The gears 30 and are so arranged that when the gear 25 has been moved 'to a certain position with the lug opposite the gear 30, the lug 32 is then swung in a direction in line with the lug 26. At this point in the rotation of the gear 30, the clear place 31 comes opposite the teeth on the gear'25 and sufficient rotation of the gear may be had without imparting any rotation to the gear 25, bringing the lug 32 opposite the lug 26. IVhen the parts are in this position any vibration of the rail members 14 and 16 cannot impart any rotation to the gear 25 insomuch as the lug 26 on. account of the position with relation to the lug 32 will lock the gear 25 against such rotation. The

-operation of the shaft 29 will operate the shaft 34 for throwing the arm 41 on said shaft toward the left as shown in Fig. 1 and will also operate the gear 37 for throwing the arm 40 toward the right. NVhen rotation is imparted to the shaft 29 the gear 38 will be rotated for operating the shaft and thereby throwing'the arm 41 thereon toward the left. The arms and. 41 will thereby be left in such position as the switch can again be operated by a train approaching from either direction. The gears herein described are of such relative sizethat an operation of any of the arms 40 or 41 imparts one complete revolution to the gear 30. The first movement of the gear 30 slides the lug 32 with relation to the lug 26 slightly until the gear 30 reaches the position in its rotation where'the teeth thereof mesh with the teeth of the gear 25. 1

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my improved switch without departing from the essential features and purposes thereof,

and it is my. intention to cover by this application. any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within'thescope of my claims. I

I claim as my invention:

1. Aswitch mechanism comprising a rod designed to be connected with movable switch members, a transverse shaft, means for operatively connecting said shaft with said rod, a shaft designed to be arranged longitudinally of the track, a beveled-gear thereon, a beveled gear on said first shaft to mesh with said first beveled gear, transverse shafts spaced from the first transverse shaft, beveled gears on said second shaft adjacent to the respective last described shafts, beveled gears fixed on the last described shafts in. mesh with said last de scribed. beveled gears, loosely mounted. beveled gears on said last described shafts in mesh w1th the beveled gears on the second shaft, trip levers fixed to said loosely designed to be connected with movable switch members, a transverse shaft, means for operatively connecting said shaft with said rod, a shaft designed to be arranged longitudinally of the track, a beveled gear thereon, a beveled gear on said first shaft ond shaft, trip levers fixed to said loosely mounted gears, trip levers fixed on said spaced transversely arranged shafts at the opposite ends thereof from the gears thereon, the outer gear on one of said spaced transverse shafts being a fixed gear and the outer gear on the other of said spaced transverse shafts being a loose gear.

3. A switch mechanism comprising a rod designed to be connected with movable switch members, a transverse shaft, means for operatively connecting said shaft with said rod, a shaft designed to be arranged longitudinally of the track, a beveled gear thereon, a beveled gear on said first shaft to mesh with said first beveled gear, transverse shafts spaced from the first transverse shaft, beveled gears on said second shaft ad jacent to the respective last described shafts, beveled gears fixed on the last described shafts in mesh with said last described beveled gears, loosely mounted beveled gears on said last described shafts in mesh with the beveled gears on the second shaft, trip levers fixed to said loosely mounted gears, trip levers fixed on said spaced transversely arranged shafts at the opposite ends there of from the gears thereon, said means including a shaft, an arm thereon pivoted to said rod, a worm gear and a worm on said first shaft.

4:. A switch mechanism comprising a rod designed to coact a pair of movable rail members, a shaft, means for operatively connecting said shaft with said rod, a second shaft arranged at right angles to said first shaft, beveled gears on said shafts arranged to mesh with each other, coacting means 011 said beveled gears whereby when said gears are in one position of their movement one of said beveled gears is locked against rotation until after limited movement of the other beveled gear, and means for operating said second shaft.

Des Moines, Iowa, April 23, 1917.

AUGUST NITZSCHE.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatente.

Washington, D. C. 

